Why Is This Generation Different Than… ?

In a Jewish world obsessed with continuity, the millennial generation is an enigma. Age-old norms that defined what it means to be Jewish don't seem to fit. Yet "being Jewish" often is seen as cooler and more accepted than ever.

This Sunday, on the public-affairs program "Sanctuary," millennials look closely at themselves and, in the process, reveal a deep commitment to a Judaism rooted in tradition and community, but lived in ways that often challenge 20th century structures and lifestyles.

The program, which will air at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18, on ABC7-Channel 7, features Stefanie Pervos Bregman, editor of the newly published "Living Jewishly: A Snapshot of a Generation." The book is a collection of revealing, incisive personal essays by a diverse group of young adult Jews from Chicago and around the country.

Bregman will be joined by an array of millennials offering insights into what "living Jewishly" means to them, from the role of ritual and the importance of choice, to the significance of denominations and the transformation of dating in the era of JDate. Guests include Jenna Benn, Rachel Kohl Finegold, Rachel Friedman, Jonny Imerman, Rabbi Jason Miller, Rabbi David Russo, Benjamin D. Singer, Elizabeth Wyner and Alyssa Zeller.

This episode is hosted by Cindy Sher.

Starting the week of Nov. 19, the program will be available for viewing on the Jewish United Fund website, www.JUF.org/interactive.

"Sanctuary" is a joint production of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and the Chicago Board of Rabbis, in cooperation with ABC7-Channel 7.

The Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago is the one organization that impacts every aspect of local and global Jewish life, providing human services for Jews and others in need, creating Jewish experiences and strengthening Jewish community connections.